HaMisrad


HaMisrad is an Israeli television sitcom, that airs on the Yes Comedy channel. It is a version of The Office, a 2001-2003 British sitcom that had already been remade in five other countries. HaMisrad is a mockumentary set in a branch of the fictional "Paper Office" office supplies company, in the industrial city of Yehud. The series stars Dvir Benedek as Avi Meshulam, the branch's regional manager, a character based heavily on the character of David Brent in the original series. It is co-produced by Yes and July August Productions.
Like the original series and many of its spinoffs, HaMisrad lampoons office life as well as gender and ethnic relations. In the case of HaMisrad, the office and warehouse include native-born secular Jews, Arabs, Orthodox Jews, and Russian and Ethiopian immigrants.
The first season aired from August to November 2010. Most of the episodes in the first season were based on the 12 episodes from the British series. Many of the early episodes featured identical plots and some of the same dialogue, though as the season went on the episodes' plots diverged increasingly from the originals.
A second season aired in late 2012 and early 2013. It contained all original plots.
The series is broadcast in HD.

Production

The series' writer is Uzi Weill, and the director is Eitan Tzur. Both are Israeli television veterans, who had both previously written and directed for BeTipul, an Israeli drama series that was itself adapted in various countries, including the American series In Treatment.
HaMisrad was created with the approval of the British series' co-creators, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Gervais, when asked about the Israeli series after it was first announced in early 2009, said he was "thrilled" about the idea, adding wryly, "who ever heard of Jewish entertainers?"
By agreement with the BBC, the main characters had to match the main characters of the UK series, and the first three episodes had to correspond to the UK series' first three episodes. Weill decided to pattern the series even more closely than required on the original UK series, because he felt it was "an official satire" which "had a lot to say about the world and about people." By contrast, Weill did not want to emulate the American version, which he considered "a parody about funny people in a funny place with a lot of feel-good factors thrown in." Weill described his approach to adapting the source material as "In an English or American office, you would keep your views to yourself, but here, all the racial and religious aspects of our lives are out in the open. We’re constantly talking about it – it's why you come to work! So to create an embarrassing situation, you have to take it further comedy-wise. It's not based on 'what would happen if I say this totally horrible thing' because I've already said it. Instead, it's 'what will happen after I say it?'"

Characters

Season one

Critics were overall very positive about the first season of HaMisrad. Entertainment writer Aviad Pohoryles of Maariv called the final episode of the season excellent, and said that it provided a worthy response to those who have criticized the importing of non-Israeli television formats. Reviewers Udi Hirsch and Inav Schiff of Israeli web portal Walla! called the show the best thing on Israeli television in 2010, and singled out for praise the performances of Dvir Benedek and Mali Levi; the skewering of mainstream Israelis' views of minorities such as Arabs, gays and the handicapped; and the dialogue, which the reviewers wrote accurately captured the cliches of Israeli society, corporate culture and internet culture.
Reception was more mixed about the second season. Ami Friedman of Maariv wrote that the second season's situations were too unrealistic, and more worthy of an animated sitcom such as South Park, although he praised the acting and dialogue.